Frame clasp for hand bags



Aug. 25, 1925.

Filed Dec. l, 1921 Edu/22 jaez'del i Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRAME CLASP FOR HAND BAGS.

Application filed December 1, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. M. gramm., a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frame Clasps for Hand Bags, of which the following is a specification. l

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of a frame-clasp employed more particularly in the construction of ladies hand bags, and the object of this invention is to provide a spring snap or clasp on one of the frame members of the bag for releasably engaging the other member thereof, and to also provide a .member adapted to release the catch when it is desired to open the bag.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 0

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand bag showing my improved catch applied thereto. Figure 2 is an enlarged viewshowing a portion of the bag frame and illustrating the spring snap latch member on one portion of the frame engaging a portion on the opposite frame, to releasably secure the two together also showing the movable member for disengaging the latch.

Figure 3 is the same as Figure 2 but showing the two frame portions as separated, the latch member having been forced from its engaging position by the releasing member.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the halves of a bag-frame, which are hinged together at 11 so that when swung apart the mouth of the bag 12 will be opened to permit ready access thereto.

In order to provide simple and effective means for releasably locking these frames together, I have provided an eye-member 13 attached at 14 to one of the frame members 10 and on the other frame member I have fixed a spring latch 15 having a head portion 16 adapted to snap past the upper bar 17 of the eye-meinber to securely hold the frame members in closed position by its tension but the latch may engage any other portion of the eye member, if desired.

It is found in practice very desirable to Serial No. 519,052.

provide some means whereby this snap latch may be caused to disengage its bar 17 when desired to open the bag, at the same time this releasing member must be so arranged that it cannot operate to release the catch excepting when it is the full intention of the one carrying the bag to do so.

To accomplish this in a simple and effective way, I have hinged a short, inflexible, tubular, socket-shaped release member 18 to this eye-member at 19, and I have provided a downwardly extending finger 20 on this member which projects to a point opposite the snap latch so that if this release member were engaged by the thumb and finger as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3, and swung to one side, the member 2O would engage the finger 15 and force it from engagement with its bar 17.

And I have attached to this tubular release member a flexible band or chain 21 to serve as a handle by which the bag may be carried about. In some cases this handle member may be in loop form (not sli-own) to permit the hand of the wearer to be passed therethrough and this handle member may be made of any suitable flexible ymaterial and in any desired form.

The lower end of this fiexible handle member is fixed securely in the socket of the release member 18 by which construction it will be seen that the bag may be swung about freely by its flexible handle without in any way effecting an opening action on the release member, which in order to operate must be engaged by the thumb and linger and swung on its hinge to one side to force the snap latch from itsl engaged position, after which the bag may be opened and when closed the snap .is simply pressed back into engagement to securely lock the two` partsof the frame together.

The device is extremely simple and practical in construction and effective in its operation and by its construction the catch may be made very handsome and attractive in appearance as both the end of the catch member and that of the releasing member may be set with jewels, if desired.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being dened and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A frame clasp of the kind described comprising two separable frame members, a spring snap latch on one member in releasable engagement with the other member, a suspending handle member pivotally mounted on one member of said frame, and a movable engaging member operated by a swinging movement of the handle for engaging and releasing said latch and simultaneously separating said frame members.

2. A frame clasp of the class described comprising two separable frame members, a

spring snap latch on one member in releasable engagement with the other member, a

carrying handle on said frame, and a member connected to said handle and adapted to be moved by it into engagement with said catch to release the same, and simultaneously separate said frame members.

3. A frame clasp of the class described comprising two separable frame members, a spring snap latch on one member in releasable engagement with the other member, an inflexible release member pivoted to one of said frame members, a flexible handle hinged to said frame through said iniieXible release member, said release member having a push finger adapted to be swung into engagement with said catch to release the same.

In testimony whereof I atx my signature.

EDWIN F. M. SPEIDEL. 

